Internal working platform of Yunnan Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries

On September 28, the five major Sri Lankan organizations friendly to China—the Sri Lanka-China Friendship Association, the Sri Lanka-China Socio-Cultural Cooperation Association, the Sri Lanka-China Association, the Sri Lanka-China Journalists Forum, and the Sri Lanka-China Buddhist Friendship Association—jointly hosted a reception to celebrate the 73rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, and the heads of the respective friendly organizations attended and delivered speeches. President Lin Songtian delivered a video speech upon invitation.

The reception was attended by over 200 friends from various sectors, including the descendants of R.G. Senanayake, the signatory of the "Mijiao Agreement"; Elder Ratnasiri, the abbot of the Unwehi Mountain Temple (the place where Master Faxian sought the Dharma); and representatives of the Sri Lanka Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese and Overseas Chinese Federation, and the Devee Girls' School and Presidential Girls' High School.

In his speech, Lin Songtian stated that this year is an important year for China and Sri Lanka to commemorate together. 70 years ago, the two new nations of China and Sri Lanka overcame difficulties and eliminated interference to sign the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, opening the door to friendly exchanges between the two countries. Over the past 65 years of diplomatic relations, the governments and peoples of China and Sri Lanka have always adhered to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence: equality and mutual trust, sincerity and mutual benefit, mutual respect, and mutual assistance. They have understood and supported each other on issues concerning their respective core interests and major concerns, and firmly defended their respective and common interests.

Lin Songtian said, the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Association has always been deeply concerned for our old friends and good friends who have made outstanding contributions to the China-Sri Lanka friendship cause for a long time. We sympathize with the temporary difficulties faced by our Sri Lankan friends, and we are full of confidence that Sri Lanka can leverage its geographical advantages, natural resources, and human resources to achieve development and revitalization. We are willing to share our experiences in reform and opening up and poverty reduction with Sri Lanka without reservation, and provide all possible assistance to help our Sri Lankan friends overcome the difficulties, supporting Sri Lanka in achieving independent and sustainable development and completely eliminating poverty.

Lin Songtian stated that the Association is willing to work together with friends from all walks of life in the other party, upholding the spirit of the Beijing Agreement, to actively promote friendly exchanges in the civil sectors of both countries, including local governments, friendly organizations, friendly individuals, think tanks, media, and youth. It will also promote mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, science and technology, culture, education, and capacity building, and contribute its civil wisdom and strength to elevate the strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level of sincere mutual assistance and generation-to-generation friendship.

The attending guests all expressed that the friendship between the Chinese and Indian peoples is extremely precious, and that many touching stories have been left in the fields of jointly fighting the epidemic, revitalizing the economy, and saving people's livelihoods. The Indian side highly praised the great achievements of the New China over the past 73 years, especially in the last decade, and extended best wishes for the successful convening of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.

At the reception, Prime Minister Gunawardena and Ambassador Qi Zhenhong presented awards to the winning students of the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Painting Competition, and the President's Girls' High School Art Troupe performed a traditional dance. Several newspapers, television stations, radio stations, and social media platforms from both countries provided live coverage and online broadcasts of the reception.